Observations on economics, the academy, the wider world, and things that run on rails.

6.1.16

HIGHER EDUCATION IS DISCRETIONARY SPENDING.

State legislatures know it, and behave accordingly. That many universities appear to be run by nyekulturny careerists who see their role as antagonizing normal Americans and taking rhetorical shots at Republican legislators doesn't influence people favorably. But the retrenchment has been going on for years. Here are the editorialists of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, eight years ago, when it was a Democratic governor looking for places to cut. They suggested leaving Wisconsin at Milwaukee alone, or giving it additional support. At the time, economist and one-time colleague Carlos Santiago was chancellor, and seeking to raise the university's research profile, something difficult to do whilst playing the access game and chasing those technology spin-offs.

UWM is a key tool for broadening the regional economy, which lags its peers in the number of business start-ups, venture capital investments and median income. Around the nation, research universities increasingly are working harder to commercialize good ideas, and UWM's plans have the potential to help drive new economic development in southeastern Wisconsin.UW-Madison has long been a catalyst for growth in that part of the state. As UW System President Kevin Reilly noted at an Editorial Board meeting last week, about 5,000 people now work at University Research Park in Madison.And while UWM may never be another UW-Madison, it could have a far greater impact on the local economy than it has had in the past. One key will be collaborating with institutions such as the Medical College and local corporations.The temptation to cut the UWM initiative may be difficult to resist. The state has a $652 million hole in the budget, and it could grow even larger. But lawmakers must understand that eating the seed corn is never a good idea. Gov. Jim Doyle and the Legislature should find other ways to close the gap.